Binding-file.



No. 736,343. PATENTBD AUG. 18, 1903. f

\ E. T. A. AKAss.

BINDING FILE.

APPLIQATION FILED DEU. 16, 1902.

No MoDn'L.

Patented August 18, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD T. A. AKASS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BINDING-FILE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 736,343, dated August18, 1903. Application filed December 16, 1902. Serial No. 135,379. (Nomodel.)

T all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD T. A. AKAss, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of lllil nois, haveinvented certain F.new and useful Improvements in Binding-Files, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to files for binding loose leaves of all kindsand maybe made in large or small sizes. lt maybe used for retaining theleaves of a loose-leaf ledger, and is particularly well adapted forholding the leaves of price-books, but it is not desired to limit itsapplication to any special use.

The object of the invention is to provide a iiat opening device whichwill fully expose all portions of the page and whenopened out on a deskor table will lie down so as to provide a firm and Iiat surface forwriting.

The object also is to provide a file which when filled with sheets canbe opened so as to permit the removal or insertion of one or more sheetswithout bending the covers back.

A further object is to provide a strong, durable, simple, andinexpensive binding-file.

I accomplish the objects of the invention by the mechanism illustratedin the accompanying drawings, in which- `Figure 1 is a front view of myimproved le in a fiat open position with only a few of the leaves orinserts in position; Fig. 2, a section of same on the line 2 2 of Fig.1; Fig. 3, a detail-of same looking from the line 3 3 of Fig. 1 Figylthe same as Fig. 3, except that the binding-hooks are in open position;Fig. 5, a cross-section ofthe metal back on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1,showing the parts in closed position; and' Fig. 6, a like view showingthe parts in open position.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout. the severalviews ofthe drawings.

7 7 represent the front and back covers of the file, which may be ofstiff or of flexible material, and 8 is the back, integral with the twocovers. rlhis back is reinforced'on the inside by the plate 9,preferably of metal. rlhe ends of the plate are turned out at rightangles to form the supports 10 and 11 for a pair of parallel rods 12 and13, which have slightly-reduced ends to form shoulders, and

the ends are inserted up to said shoulders in perforationsin said endsupports 10 and 11. The two rods carry the binding-hooks 14 14 15 15,here shown as four in number, but the number may be varied withoutdeparting from the invention. The hooks are preferably bent on arcs of acircle, as shown. By rocking the two shafts the hooks carried by saidshafts will be raised to the positions shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2and by full lines in Fig. 4, which allows the edge of a proposed leaf orinsert to be introduced between the two sets of hooks, and the insertswill be secured by the taking of the hooks through suitable perforationsthrough the material of the said leaves, or, as shown in the drawings,the inserts `may have the eyelets 16 to engage the hooks.

The eyelets are formed from bends in a Wire '(shown by dotted lines inFig. 1 at 17 which is laid inside of the fold between two or moreleaves, and the eyelet, fashioned out of the wire by suitably bendingit, is passed out through a suitable slot through the bent edges. Therocking of the two rods in directions to open and close the hooks isaccomplished by the lateral lever extensions 18 and 19, which overlapeach other against the end 11 when the hooks are at closed position. Thelevers 18 and 19 have longitudinal slots through which the stem of asliding knob 2O is passed. The adjacent end 11 has vertical slot 21,through which the stem of said knob 20 is passed. By moving the knob 2Oto the outer end of slot 21 the rods will be rocked so as to open thehooks, as shown in Fig. 4, and when the knob is moved to the inner endof slot 21 the rods will be rocked to a position which closes the hooks.A lateral notch 22 at the lower end of slot 21 receives the stem of theknob and forms a lock. The side edges of the plate 9 are bent up againstthe rods, as shown in Fig. 6, to support the rods at their ou ter sides,and a brace 21, riveted at its middle to the plate 9 and having its endsbearing against the rods, afford inside support to the middles of therods. The entrance to notch 22 is partially closed by the tongue-likeprojection 24, which barely allows the pin or shank of the knob 2O topass by the exertion of an appreciable force. After passing the tonguethe notch is large enough to receive roo raised edges to spread and holdthe bars,`

curved hooks carried by said rods the hooks of one rod being at rightangles to their rods and connected with alternate opposite rods, andmeans for rocking the rods in opposite directions to open and close thehooks.

2. In a binding-file, the combination with a pair of covers and a backconnecting same,

of a reinforcing-plate on the inner side of the back said plate havingits ends bent out to form supports, a pair of parallel rods supported bysaid bent ends of the plate one of said ends having a slot at rightangles to a plane through the axes of the rods, said rods havingbinding-hooks and lateral arms the arms and hooks of each rod beingprojected toward the other rod-and the arms being in contact with eachother and located adjacent to the slotted end of the plate, the lowerend of the slot of the plate having a notch, and a pin passing throughall of the slots and sliding therein to rock the rods.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, atIndianapolis, Indiana, this 2d day of December, A.D. 1902.

EDWARD T. A. AKASS.

Vitnesses:

S. MAHLoN UNGER, RALPH PAXToN.

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